Midwest Science Festival: Exploring Students' and Parents' Participation in and Attitudes Toward Science.

INTRODUCTION: Compared to national numbers, South Dakota has a higher proportion of students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Interest in science can be influenced by exposure to science through formal and informal learning. Informal science activities (including exposures and participation) have been found to elicit higher levels of interest in science, likely impacting one's attitude towards science overall. The current study goal is to better understand the levels and relationships of attitude, exposure, and participation in science that were present among students and parents attending a free science festival. METHODS: The project collected survey data from 65 students and 79 parents attending a science festival ranging from age 6 to 65. RESULTS: Informal science participation is significantly related to science attitudes in students and informal science exposure is not. No relationship was found for parents between science attitudes and participation. CONCLUSIONS: Students who indicated high levels of informal science participation (i.e., reading science-themed books) were positively related to their attitudes regarding science. However, informal science exposures, such as attending the zoo or independently visiting a science lab, was not significantly associated with positive attitudes towards science.

Dysregulation of CRMP2 Post-Translational Modifications Drive Its Pathological Functions.

Collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs) are a family of ubiquitously expressed, homologous phosphoproteins best known for coordinating cytoskeletal formation and regulating cellular division, migration, polarity, and synaptic connection. CRMP2, the most studied of the five family members, is best known for its affinity for tubulin heterodimers and function in regulating the microtubule network. These functions are tightly regulated by post-translational modifications including phosphorylation, SUMOylation, oxidation, and O-GlcNAcylation. While CRMP2's physiological functions rely mostly on its non-phosphorylated state, dysregulation of CRMP2 phosphorylation and SUMOylation has been reported to be involved in the pathophysiology of multiple diseases including cancer, chronic pain, spinal cord injury, neurofibromatosis type 1, and others. Here, we provide a consolidated update on what is known about CRMP2 signaling and function, first focusing on axonal growth and neuronal polarity, then illustrating the link between dysregulated CRMP2 post-translational modifications and diseases. We additionally discuss the roles of CRMP2 in non-neuronal cells, both in the CNS and regions of the periphery. Finally, we offer thoughts on the therapeutic implications of modulating CRMP2 function in a variety of diseases.

Tracking sex-dependent differences in a mouse model of CLN6-Batten disease.

BACKGROUND: CLN6-Batten disease is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized pathologically by the accumulation of lysosomal storage material, glial activation and neurodegeneration, and phenotypically by loss of vision, motor coordination, and cognitive ability, with premature death occurring in the second decade of life. In this study, we investigate whether sex differences in a mouse model of CLN6-Batten disease impact disease onset and progression. RESULTS: A number of noteworthy differences were observed including elevated accumulation of mitochondrial ATP synthase subunit C in the thalamus and cortex of female Cln6 mutant mice at 2 months of age. Moreover, female mutant mice showed more severe behavioral deficits. Beginning at 9 months of age, female mice demonstrated learning and memory deficits and suffered a more severe decline in motor coordination. Further, compared to their male counterparts, female animals succumbed to the disease at a slightly younger age, indicating an accelerated disease progression. Conversely, males showed a marked increase in microglial activation at 6 months of age in the cortex relative to females. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, as female Cln6 mutant mice exhibit cellular and behavioral deficits that precede similar pathologies in male mutant mice, our findings suggest the need for consideration of sex-based differences in CLN6 disease progression during development of preclinical and clinical studies.